Unsolved Mysteries of American History: An Eye–Opening Journey through 500 Years of Discoveries, Disappearances, and Baffling Events - Hardcover

Aron, Paul

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0471153699 ISBN 13: 9780471153696

Publisher: Jossey Bass, 1997

Synopsis

"A lively tour through our past and an ingenious primer in the art of historical detection." ––Robert A. Gross, author of The Minutemen and Their World

Did Leif Ericsson beat Columbus to America? What happened to the Lost Colony of Roanoke? Did Pocahontas really save John Smith? Did Davy Crockett die at the Alamo? What really happened to Amelia Earhart, and was she a spy? Who killed JFK?

Unsolved Mysteries of American History re–creates the most mystifying events of our past, following some of our greatest historians as they search for the elusive answers. Spanning more than five centuries––from Leif Ericsson and Columbus through Watergate and Iran–Contra––Aron makes sense of all the latest discoveries and speculations. Here is everything you could ever want from a detective story: dramatic twists and turns, intellectual challenges, frustrating dead–ends, murderous mayhem, and thrilling espionage.

"Stimulating and pleasurable, fair and objective . . . recommended for both the history buff and the fan of true–life mysteries."––Kirkus Reviews

"Everyone loves a mystery and a history mystery best of all. Aron has assembled an impressive array of ′whodunits.′" ––Ivor Noel Hume, former director, Department of Archaeology, Colonial Williamsburg author of The Virginia Adventure

"A welcome gateway for historical exploration." ––Booklist

"Aron performs something of a minor miracle: He zeroes in on the very core of historical mysteries and provides new insights for reconsidering mystifying events." ––Allan W. Eckert, author of Sorrow in Our Heart

About this title

About the Author

PAUL ARON is a reporter for the Virginia Gazette. He was previously editorial director at Leo Douglas Publishers, executive editor at Simon & Schuster, and an editor at Anchor Press/Doubleday. Mr. Aron lives in Williamsburg, Virginia.

From the Back Cover

UNSOLVED MYSTERIES of AMERICAN HISTORY

Did Leif Ericsson beat Columbus to America? Did Pocahontas really save John Smith? Was Amelia Earhart a spy? Who killed JFK? These are just a few of the intriguing mysteries of American history.

Unsolved Mysteries of American History re–creates the most mystifying events of our past and follows some of our greatest historians as they search for answers. Like seasoned detectives, these historians gather evidence, pore over eyewitness testimony, head down some dead ends, unmask liars and frauds, and offer their solutions. Here is everything you′d want in a great detective story: the twists and turns, the intellectual challenges, even the espionage and murder.

Bringing clarity and a beautifully balanced perspective to his diverse subjects, Paul Aron makes sense of all the latest discoveries and speculation, revealing:

• What was the meaning of CROATAN, the puzzling letters carved on the fort at the Lost Colony of Roanoke?
• Do reports from the Mexican side of the legendary battle suggest that Davy Crockett did not die at the Alamo?
• What prompted Confederate Army mastermind Robert E. Lee to order the suicidal Pickett′s Charge?
• What did nuclear engineers discover while examining the wreckage of the Maine?
• What dramatic revelations emerged from the FBI and KGB files on Julius and Ethel Rosenberg?
• Is there evidence that the battle at the Gulf of Tonkin a key factor in America′s escalation of the Vietnam War may never have taken place?

"Like the best historians, Aron renews our sense of the past with challenging questions instead of easy answers. And he does so with a style that would make most historians envious." Richard Lowry College of William and Mary

Advance praise for Unsolved Mysteries of American History

"An uncommonly satisfying read. Aron performs something of a minor miracle: He zeroes in on the very core of historical mysteries and provides new insights for reconsidering mystifying events." Allan W. Eckert ,author of A Sorrow in Our Heart and Narratives of America

"Everyone loves a mystery and a history mystery best of all. Aron has assembled an impressive array of ′whodunits′ ranging from whether Americans are descended from lost Atlantians to who did what to whom at the Watergate office complex." Ivor Noel Hume, former director, Department of Archaeology, Colonial Williamsburg, author of The Virginia Adventure.

"For those who have passed beyond the riddle of who is buried in Grant′s Tomb, Aron opens up more provocative mysteries. A lively tour through our past and an ingenious primer in the art of historical detection." Robert A. Gross, author of The Minutemen and Their World.

"Extremely well written and absolutely intriguing. A page turner." Robert Smith Thompson, author of A Time for War and The Missiles of October

Edition details

• Publisher: Jossey Bass
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 0471153699
• ISBN 13: 9780471153696
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 240